Earth sampler



Sept. 7, 192a.

A. J. MASON. JR

EARTH SAIPLBR Filed Dec. 12, 1925 2 Shoots-Shoot 1 A. J. MASON, JR

EARTH SAMPLER Sept. 7 1926. 1,599,140

Filed Dec. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept; 7, 1926.

ARTHUR .r'mson, m, or rum, clung-01mm.

EARTH SAMPLER.

This invention relates to apparatus for securing samples of material forming the walls of a tubular hole manually made in the earth, as by drilling for oil, minerals and the like, and more particularly to devices capable of cutting-one or more samples of wall material from the side of a perforation in the earth at any predetermined point along the depth of such perforation, one form of such a mechanism being shown in my earlier a plication, Serial Number 34,7 57 filed une l, 1925. 4 1

One object of the invention is to provide novel and positive means for forcing the sampling apparatus into engagement with the tubular hole wall from which a sample is to be taken at' the predetermined point. Another object is to improve the facility with which the sample material enters the sampling apparatus, and its ease of travel therethroug The invention consists in means capable of attaining the foregoing and other ob ects; which can be easily and cheaply made; which able to get out of order.

' More particularly the invention consists in numerous features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same parts through out the several views:

Figure 1 isa side elevation partly in section of the mechanism illustrating this invention in its preferred form engaged in the actual operation of taking an earth sample.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism of Figure 1 removed from the earth and viewed as from the left of Figure 1, certain parts being broken away so that the interior can be readily seen.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same mechanism, taken from the right in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an external face, changed position view of the sampler mechanism shown 11 Figure 1, showin the position of the parts as the device trave s down the tubular hole in the earth before the point forsample taking is reached.

- Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spring togg e mechanism forforcing the sample taking mechanism into engagement with the earth wall in the position of parts shown in Figure 1.

is satisfactory in use and is not readily li- Application filed December 12, 1925. Serial No. 74,970.

Figure 6 is a sectional, plan view, taken on the irregular line 6-6 of, Figure 1. The earth sampler of said prior applica tion comprises a downwardly extending tubular member 10, several feet in; length, substantially smaller than the perforation 12 in the earth 14 from whose side wall a sample, of material is at the proper point to be cut by the knife edge 16 on the lower end of the laterally extendin tubular portionor member 10 forming t e lower end of tube 10, As fully set forth in said priorapplication, the tubular case 10 descends freely in earth perforation 12 until a predeter mined point therein is reached in which the knife edge 16 1s mechanically forced into engagement with the earth wall 14, whereupon under the simultaneous action of said mechanism forcing the knife edge 16 into the earth wall and hammer blows or the like on the upper end of tubular case member 10, the knife 16 travels first an inclined line 18 and finally a straight vertical line 20, parallel to the central axis of earth perforation 1 2, with the result that an earth sample 22 "is" cut from the wall of the perforation and forced into the tubular case 10 with which said sample is ultimately removed from the earth perforation 12.

The present invention relates to improved means for forcing the knife edge 16 into the earth wall as the case 10 is driven downward. In carrying out this invention, the pivotal mounting, ecifically a stationary shaft 24, is providei on the side of case 10 opposite to the center of knife 16, and preferably slightly above the knife. on shaft 24 is the hub 26 of a lever 28 carrying the U-shaped extension, preferably.

but not necessarily a spring, of proper dimensions to gas shown in Figure 1) contact the wall 0 earth perforation 12 opposite to knife 16 when said knife is cutting its deepest into earth wall 14. This lever 28-30 is tiltable between the horizontal position of Figure 5 where it contacts the Journaled lit) stance, staple 34. One end of belt 32 normally extends upward and is attached at its end to a retractile spring 36, in turn fastened at its opposite end to a hook 38 or other suitable fastening device on the body of the sampling tube, specifically as shown on bar 60 carried thereby. The opposite end of belt 32 depends downward through a guide bracket rigid on the lower end of portion 10 of the tubular case, and carries at its lower end a weight 42. Weight 42 is sufiiciently heavy to normally counteract the tension of spring 36 and force lever 28-30 to the depressed or vertical position of Figures 1 (dotted lines) and 4. This is the position which the parts assume. while the sampling device is descending earth perforation 12 and continues until such time as this weight 4L2 strikes the bott-Tbm 4A of earth perforation 12, thereby releasing thls control of the weight on spring 36. Just as soon as the weight 42 actually rests on the bottom of earth perforation 12, as shown in Figure 1, spring 36 operates through the upper portion of belt 32 to throw lever 2830 toward horizontal position shown in Figures 1 and 5. 'When the outer end of member 30 contacts the wall of earth perforation 12, while knife 16 is traveling any portion of angular line 18, heretofore referred to, lever 28-30 is downwardly inclined from left to right from pivot 24, with the result that said lever forms with portions of the device on the left of pivot 24, as viewed in Figure 1, an upwardly pointed toggle joint with the result that succeeding blows, delivered by means not entering into this invention and therefore not here shown, to the upper end of tubular case 10, tend to force said toggle,

to straighten out in conventional manner to thereby move lever 2830 to horizontal position and to simultaneously force said knife 16 further and further into the earth wall 14 of perforation l2 and to finally reach and travel on line of cut 20 heretofore referred to. Toggle lever 2830 is prevented from moving upward beyond'the position of Fig. 5 by engaging stop plate suitably positioned across the open side'of member 10.

Because of this toggle construction, including the lever 2830, knife 16 is forced into the earth wall 14 much more positively and is held in position much more positivel than in the construction of said prior application.

utting knife 16 is restrained from entering earth wall 14 too deeply by the presence of an earth wall traversing shoe 46 on the lower end of the mechanism as shown.

The ready entrance of sample material 22 to the tubular case member is greatly facilitated by making the body of the case itself of U-shaped metal, enclosing three naeamo sides of the earth sample 22 cut from the earth wall 14, and making the fourth side 50 of a sheet of elastic material, specifically rubber, such as is used in inner tubes of automobile tires, said rubber wall 50 being reinforced on its inside by parallel metal ribs 52. secured to the rubber by any suitable means as for instance by counter-sunk rivets 54 clearly shown in Figure 6. The term U shaped is used generally to indicate any suitable cross section of case initially open at one side. Sufiicient clearance 56 is provided between the successive ribs 52 so as to allow some play between said ribs as rubber wall 50 stretches to accommodate irregularities due to hard particles in the earth sample 22 cut from the earth wall 14 and carried into the interior 58 of,tube 10.

Rubber wall 50 is secured in place on the sidewalls of tubular member 10 in any conventional manner, for instance, through the agency of vertically disposed bars 60, detachably secured in place by any suitable means, as bolt-s or rivets 62.

In addition to the functions heretofore referred to, elastic wall 50 performs the function of elastically pressing upon sample material 22 in interior recess 58 of the case 10 and thus assists in retaining the sample material in the tubular case 10 while the case, with sample therein, is being elevated upward through earth perforation 12 to the earth surface. The elastic well also allows compressible formations, such as soft shale,

to expand when brought up toward the surface. It should be clearly understood that the elastic wall may be of other constructions than rubber without departing from the invention.

When the securing devices 62 are bolts, they may be removed when the sampler reaches the earths surface to thereby remove wall 50 and thus permit earth sample 22 to drop out of case 10 in exactly its original structural form as cut from the earth wall 14.

Spring member 30 illustrates merely one method of making the toggle lever 28-30 yielding at some point between its pivot and the earth wall which it contacts to'allow the device to pass easily down the earth perforation, notwithstanding any unexpected obstacles which may appear in the contacted wall.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is z 1. In mechanism of the class described, a sampler for traversing an earth erforation, having a cutting mouth selectivel engageable with a side wall of the peroration, a to gle lever carried by the sampler, swingabl e to engage with an opposite wall of the earth perforation, means urging the toggle lever to so swing and means I101- maPy holding the toggle lever clear of said wa l.

2. In mechanism of the class described, a sampler for traversing an earth perforation, having a cutting mouth selectively engageable with a side wall of the perforation, a toggle lever carried by the sampler, swingable to engage with an opposite wall of the earth perforation, means urging the toggle lever to so swing and a flexibly suspended weight, normally retracting said lever from said wall.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a sampler for traversing an earth perforation having an open bottom laterally pointed mouth engageable with a side wall of the perforation, a toggle lever pivoted to the sampler, extensible away from said mouth to contact an opposite wall of the earth perforation, a flexible suspension member attached to the lever encircling its pivot, a spring at one end of the flexible member tending to extend the lever across the earth perforation into contact with its wall, and a weight on'the opposite end of the flexible member sufficiently large to normally overcome said spring.

4. In mechanism of the class described, a sampler for traversing an earth perforation, having a cutting mouth selectively engageable with a side wall of the perforation, a toggle lever carried by the sampler, swingable to engage with an opposite wall of the earth perforation, means urging the toggle lever to so swing, means normally holding the toggle lever clear of said wall, and a yielding part in the toggle lever.

5. In mechanism of the class described, a sampler for traversing an earth perforation, having a cutting mouth selectively engageable with a side wall of the perforation, a toggle lever carried by the sampler, swingable to engage with an opposite wall of the earth perforation, means urging the toggle sampler, extensible away from said mouth to contact an opposite wall of the earth perforation, a flexible suspension member attached to the lever encircling its pivot, a spring at one end of the flexible member tending to extend the lever across the earth perforation into contact with its wall, a weight on the opposite end of the flexible member sufiiciently large to normally overcome said spring, and a yielding part in the toggle lever.

7. As an article of manufacture, a tubular earth sampler including a U-shaped metal tube and a wall of elastic material detachably secured across the open side of the tube.

8. As an article of manufacture, a tubular earth sampler including a U-shaped metal tube, a wall of elastic material detachably secured across the open side of the tube, and parallel reinforcing ribs secured to the inside of the elastic Wall extending lengthwise of the sampler.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ARTHUR J. MASON, JR. 0 

